When Reed Hastings ’83 donated $50 million to the College in March, the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity became the largest gift in Bowdoin’s history. With a donation that significant, the College has a responsibility to ensure its funds are used to reach and benefit as many community members as possible. While existing programming including lectures, events and the recent Hackathon have brought important conversations about artificial intelligence (AI) use and ethics to campus, we call for increased clarity about how Hastings Initiative funds can be used.

As the Hastings Initiative begins to weave its way through campus, the initiative should be purposeful in what programming it funds. As events on AI become more creative and interdisciplinary, it may not always be obvious from an event’s marketing how AI factors in. Hastings Initiative-sponsored events should clearly connect to the gift’s intention of “exploring, understanding, and ethically guiding the transformative power of artificial intelligence.”

While the Hastings Initiative has a well-designed website featuring information about the initiative, upcoming events and resources on AI, it is not clear if many members of the Bowdoin community know much about it. Although most may know the Hastings Initiative by name, many likely do not know more than that. The only way the website has been publicized is through the Campus Digest. This website is the beginning of a great resource on AI, and we encourage people to engage further with Hastings Initiative offerings.

Currently, the only publicized opportunity for individuals to receive funding from the initiative is through faculty research grants such as Explore AI and Project Seed funding. Student-led initiatives operating through Student Activities, the McKeen Center and other programs on campus could greatly benefit from similar funding if given the opportunity.

Over fall break, the College hosted a Hackathon during which students explored AI and its real-world applications. We appreciate that even students without any previous experience with AI could attend, and we hope the Hastings Initiative continues to plan events that attract students from all academic backgrounds. For example, the College should design programming for students who do not typically use AI in their classes to explore how it can be used in their disciplines.

The College has a responsibility to manage the Hastings Initiative in a thoughtful way. Bowdoin must consider the donation’s weight in the public eye and the ethics of promoting AI. The donation has received national traction, making the College a leader on the issue. Now is the moment for the College to make ethical AI use the standard and demonstrate how AI must engage with the common good.

This editorial represents the majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed of Julia Dickinson, Ella Ferrucci, Kaya Patel, Andy Robinson, Margaret Unger, Catalina Escobedo and Caitlin Panicker.